Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yophyllis’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yophyllis’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets; coral pink-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering about September 11 th  in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yophyllis’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a garden Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yophyllis’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 2003, in Salinas, Calif. of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 00-M401, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Atlantico, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/550,149, now abandoned, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in September, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in December, 2003. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yophyllis have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yophyllis’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yophyllis’ as a new and distinct garden Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to         ligulate-shaped ray florets.     -   5. Coral pink-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering about September 11^(th) in the         Northern Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly and         about one week earlier than plants of the female parent         selection when grown under natural season conditions.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent         selection differed in inflorescence form.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were lighter         in color than ray florets of plants of the female parent         selection.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Atlantico, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants         of the cultivar Atlantico when grown under natural season         conditions.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Atlantico.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Atlantico         differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Atlantico         had yellow bronze-colored ray florets.     -   4. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum faded         slower than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar         Atlantico.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yocamille, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,791. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yocamille in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants         of the cultivar Yocamille when grown under natural season         conditions.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yocamille         differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Yocamille         had light pink-colored ray florets.     -   3. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum faded         slower than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar         Yocamille.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. The photograph show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yophyllis’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Alva, Fla. during the winter in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 27° C. and night temperatures averaged 18° C. Plants were grown in containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions and pinched about 17 days later. Three days before the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were about three months old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yophyllis. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 00-M401,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Atlantico, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser.             No. 09/550,149, now abandoned. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of             about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten to twelve             days at temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type garden Chrysanthemum.             Compact, stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a             uniformly mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching             habit, about eight lateral branches develop after removal of             terminal apex (pinching) each with numerous secondary             laterals; dense and full plant habit. Moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 14 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 25 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 10.5 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Internode length: About 9 mm. Strength: Strong,             flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             4.1 cm. Width: About 3.6 cm. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate to             attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral             lobes parallel to divergent. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Fine pubescence; veins prominent on lower surface.             Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 147A.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, close             to 147B. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to             147B; venation, close to 147B. Petiole: Length: About             1.75 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: 147A to 147B.             Color, lower surface: 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne             on terminals above foliage. Disc and ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences faintly fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower about September 11^(th) in the Northern Hemisphere.             At other times of the year, inflorescence initiation and             development can be induced under short day/long night             conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early             flowering habit; plants exposed to photoinductive short             day/long night conditions flower about 44 days later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about 3.5 weeks in an outdoor nursery.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About seven to ten             inflorescences develop per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 147A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.75 cm. Depth (height):             About 8 mm. Disc diameter: About 1.1 cm. Receptacle             diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About 4 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated-oblong to ligulate.             Orientation: Initially upright, then about 90° from vertical             or perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Initially incurved,             then mostly flat. Length: About 2.4 cm. Width: About 5 mm.             Apex: Emarginate, rounded or acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous,             satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 30             arranged in one or two whorls. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 50A to 50B. When opening, lower surface:             Close to 50C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to between             50B and 65A; color becoming closer to 65B to 65C with             development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to between             50C and 65C.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 6 mm.             Diameter: About 1.25 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 87. Color, immature: Apex: Close to             145A. Mid-section: Close to 2A. Base: Close to 157A. Color,             mature: Apex: Close to 9A. Mid-section and base: Close to             155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 20             arranged in about two whorls. Length: About 5 mm. Width:             About 2 mm. Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 138A;             towards the margins, 157D. Color, lower surface: Close to             147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong; flexible.             Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to             146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: About five             per floret. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color:             Close to 145D. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape:             Oblong. Anther color: Close to 9A. Pollen amount: None             observed. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma             shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 3B. Style length:             About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 1C. Ovary color: Close to             157A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated excellent garden performance and to tolerate     temperatures from about 0° C. to about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yophyllis’ as illustrated and described. 